“Christ commits his flock to Ministers’ care to keep ’em and lead ’em through a great and howling wilderness . . . ” Jonathan Edwards

Jonathan Edwards & the Church

The Jonathan Edwards and the Church Lecture Series, co-sponsored with the Edwards Center, probes the riches of Jonathan Edwards’ life and theology for its enduring pastoral fruitfulness. As the preeminent pastor-theologian of North American history, there is much that can still be learned from him, both as a theologian and a pastor. Past lectures have included subjects like slavery and preaching.

All Edwards and the Church lectures are free and open to everyone, and will be live-streamed at stream.tiu.edu.

Moderator

Doug Sweeney

Douglas Sweeney is Professor of Church History, chair of the department, and Director of the Jonathan Edwards Center. His areas of expertise include Jonathan Edwards, the history of theology, and American church history. Dr. Sweeney has written numerous books and articles, including The American Evangelical Story: A History of the Movement (Baker Academic, 2005) and Jonathan Edwards and the Ministry of the Word (InverVarsity Press, 2009).

Quotation

The quote at the head of this page is from “The Great Concern of a Watchman for Souls,” based on Hebrews 13:17, preached at the ordination of the Rev. Jonathan Judd, June 8, 1743. The extended quote is the following:

“Ministers are appointed to be shepherds over Christ’s flock; and he commits his flock to their care to keep ’em and lead ’em through a great and howling wilderness, full of hungry wolves and roaring lions. And is there not need of a strict and constant watch in the shepherds in such a case, as they would preserve the lives of the sheep, and lead ’em to the land of their rest?”